College Campus Blog Report #4: This past February while I was visiting Boston and touring colleges, I had the pleasure of visiting Tufts University. Tufts is located in Medford, Massachusetts which is just a short 15 minute drive away from downtown Boston. While visiting Tufts, I had the opportunity to listen to an information session and also attended a general campus tour. I also had the chance to visit Davis Square which is a popular off campus location for students at Tufts to shop and eat. Here is my 4th college campus blog report and all the information I learned while visiting Tufts University.

Tufts University:

location: Medford, Massachusetts— about 15 minutes away from downtown Boston.

Weather In Medford: Medford has very cold winters with temperatures ranging from the low 20’s to mid 40’s with some snow mixed in. The summer’s in Medford are more comfortable with temperatures ranging from the mid 50’s to low 80’s most days.

Town Feel: Tufts’ campus is located on the side and top of a hill in Medford. The nearest town or downtown area is Davis Square which is about a 10 minute walk or 5 minute drive away from campus. While I was a bit disappointed that Tufts was not located in a more centralized location, Davis Square was very nice and had many of the things you would need as a college student such as grocery stores, restaurants and a few entertainment options. While visiting Tufts, my Dad and I visited Davis Square and had a nice lunch at a cafe and coffee bar that served crepes. Overall, Davis Square is very nice and it is a great place for students to visit while attending Tufts even if it is not extremely close to campus. Also, Boston is close enough to the Tufts’ campus that it is an easy trip to get there as well.

Activities To Do In And Around Campus:

• Visit Davis Square-  as I mentioned above, Davis Square is the nearest downtown area to campus and it is a popular spot for many students to visit. Davis Square has many restaurants, shops and entertainment options so there is plenty to do if you are looking for a way to fill your day.
• Visit downtown Boston- if Davis Square is not big enough for you and you are looking for some more action, Boston is the perfect place for you. Located roughly 15 minutes away by car, Boston has many places to visit such as museums, shops and restaurants. Also, if you are just looking to walk around, then Boston is the perfect place to do that. If you would like to take public transportation to get to Boston, there is a train or bus that can take you to downtown Boston from either Davis Square or the main Tufts campus.
• Attend a sports game- if you are looking to watch a sports game, Tufts has you covered. Tufts is home to one of the top D3 sports programs and the school itself has a lot of school spirit when it comes to sports.
• Attend a concert or visit the art museum- Tufts is home to a strong arts program and hosts many concerts and plays throughout the year. On campus, they have a very nice theater where these events can occur. Also on campus, they have an art gallery that displays student work throughout the year. All of these music and arts spaces are part of the Aidekman Arts Center on campus and play a big role in the overall culture of the school.
• Join a club or other student run organization- Tufts has over 300 clubs and organizations that are centered around various topics and themes. I am sure that you can find a club that you like and that suits you at Tufts. But, if you cannot, then you can always create your own club and add to the diversity of clubs at Tufts. The main goal of joining a club at Tufts is to connect with other people who share similar passions to you and to learn about a variety of different subjects.

Tufts University Size:

• 5,541 undergraduate students
• 5,908 graduate students
• 11,449 total students
• 9:1 student faculty ratio
• Average class size– 19 students

Admission Statistics (Class Of 2023):

• 15% acceptance rate– this is right in line with their average acceptance rate of 15%
• Total # of applicants- 22,766
• Total # of students accepted- 3,404

Interesting Facts About Tufts University:

• Tufts is a tier 1 research university and has research opportunities available in a variety of different fields.
• Tufts is home to 9 different graduate and undergraduate schools in a variety of different fields. As a result of Tufts having 9 different schools,  there are many courses and majors available to study and you can also take classes that interest you as well.
• Tufts’ mascot is an elephant named Jumbo and the mascot dates back to 1885 when the famous circus showman P.T. Barnum donated the stuffed hide of Jumbo to Tufts.
• Tufts is considered a liberal arts university but it also has the resources and close proximity to Boston to make it a top research university.
• The Tufts’ campus is located on the top and side of a hill and has an incredible view of downtown Boston
• Tufts is focused on diversity and inclusion and accomplishes this goal through exposing students and faculty to different cultures as well as values.
• Tufts most popular majors are mostly in science fields but there is still a strong arts focus on campus which makes it a well balanced school.
• Tufts has a big focus on sustainability and wants to help tackle some of the problems facing our world such as climate change and resource depletion through sustainability.

 

My Overall Opinions On Tufts University:

What I like About Tufts:

• The location- Tufts has a great location as it is not directly in the city of Boston but is very close. This location allows for the university to get the resources and opportunities of a big city while not having a city like feel to it.
• The balance of academic programs- I like how Tufts has a strong science program, as that is the field that I am interested in studying, but that it also is well balanced and has a strong arts program. This allows for students to study in fields that may be new to them and to learn new things.
• I Like that Tufts is a tier 1 research university and offers research in a variety of different fields. Research is a big deal for me and the fact that Tufts is a tier 1 research school makes it look really good.
• Finally, I really like that Tufts has a wide variety of clubs and other activities available for students to participate in and meet new people. I think this is really cool and is a great way for students to make new friends.

What I Dislike About Tufts:

• One thing I do not like about Tufts is that it only has D3 Sports. While I understand that it is hard for smaller schools to have D1 sports, I do prefer D1 sports. But, even though Tufts only has D3 sports, they do have a lot of school spirit which could make up for that.
• I wish that Tufts had more of a downtown area within walking distance to campus. When my Dad and I visited Davis Square, we enjoyed it and saw a lot of cute shops but it did not really feel like a small town. I wish that there was a Davis Square type place that was a bit closer to campus and that felt more like a small town. But, even though Davis Square is a bit far away, it did offer most things that college students would want. Also, as I mentioned above, Boston is also very close to campus so it is fairly easy to get there if you want to.

 

 

My Final Thoughts On Tufts University:

Overall, I really like Tufts University as it combines a small liberal arts college with the resources of a bigger university. I also really like the location as it is fairly easier to get to from pretty much anywhere. Although Tufts has some downsides, such as not having D1 sports, it checks a lot of my boxes and is definitely a great school. I hope you have enjoyed this blog report about Tufts University and now understand more about what goes on at Tufts.